Product Manager - Cut Flowers in Elburn, Illinois at BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY

This role will manage and coordinate product development aspects of research and development and the overall product life cycle for PanAmerican Seed’s Cut Flower portfolio. The ideal candidate will have an understanding of cut flowers, a deep passion for plants, the ability to bridge the gap between customer needs and product development and a clear communication style.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive product strategy for our product offerings ensuring they relate to the Company’s overall goals, vision, and values.
• Track new products and develop, lead, and implement strategy for production introduction resulting in the successful commercialization of new products.
• Work with breeders and other stakeholders in developing breeding goals for crops leading to timely introductions meeting customer needs. Make recommendations to appropriate stakeholders for product assortment changes.
• Manage necessary aspects of product trialing to ensure that appropriate data is collected, data generated, and appropriate pictures/videos and reports completed which will result in successful trialing, ensuring quality and performance of the products and customer success at all levels with new products launched into the market.
• Plan and execute product launches, including marketing strategies, product positioning, and pricing strategies. Monitor product performance post-launch.
• Conduct market research to identify emerging trends, customer preferences, and competitive positioning.
• Manage the entire product lifecycle to ensure market position, which includes staying informed about competitors in the horticulture industry and identifying opportunities to differentiate our products. Make recommendations for product assortment deletions to appropriate stakeholders.
• Create and maintain a roadmap that outlines the future direction of the Company’s products/produce lines including new product releases and updates to existing products.

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in cut flowers in a product management, sales, growing, or trialing role.
• Bachelor's degree in Horticulture or a relevant field. A background in horticulture, botany, or plant science is a plus.
• Ability to understand strengths and weaknesses of cut flower products at PanAmerican Seed and competitor products in relevant crops.
• Proven ability to lead, manage, support and motivate colleagues as well as fostering a positive culture. A genuine passion for plants is highly desirable.
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Data-driven decision-making and the ability to analyze market trends is important.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrate competency with MS Office products, SAP knowledge beneficial.
• Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives
• Acquires data from multiple and diverse sources when solving problems.
• Looks toward the broadest possible view of an issue or challenge.
• Sets objectives to align with broader organizational goals.
• Understand internal and external stakeholder requirements, expectations, and needs. Add accountability.
• Makes sound decisions, even in the absence of complete information.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift and carry up to 20 pounds approximately 40% of the workday.
• Ability to stand for prolonged periods in greenhouses, field trials, and other work environments approximately 50% of the workday.
• Ability to work in various greenhouse and outdoor conditions, including exposure to heat, cold, rain, mud, and humidity approximately 50% of the workday.
• Ability to kneel, bend, and perform similar physical movements approximately 20% of the workday.
• May be required to push and pull greenhouse benches; weight and force required vary by facility approximately 10% of the workday.
• Minimal climbing and balancing activities less than 1% of the workday.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally approximately 30–35% of the time, depending on business needs and seasonal demands.

Salary Range: $75k- $90K

Our Promise to you

We create excitement in the world of flowers and are the first choice for service. We deliver all the best and nothing else! To you, we deliver a work environment and a culture where building long-lasting relationships internally and externally is important. We believe that good communication, sharing ideas and collaborating on projects will set us up for success. We keep both our feet on the ground and are approachable.

In addition to this we provide a comprehensive Total Rewards package that includes:

• Medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance
• 401k/Profit Sharing Retirement Plan
• Paid time off benefits including vacation and holidays
• Tuition assistance
• Employee Assistance Program and Positive Health programs
• An onsite subsidized café overlooking renowned display gardens and restored natural areas